esson 38 : Grail King, Grail Eight and Grail
Nineesson 38 : Grail King, Grail Eight and Grail
Nine
own the
hill from the Spiral Tower, I come to an inn. Giving one of my golden
rings, I am able to obtain the luxuries of a home-cooked meal, bottle
of wine, warm bath and soft bed. The mindless pampering and dreamless
sleep are just what I needed. I awaken feeling like a new person and,
after a hearty breakfast, set out again.
The sun chases away the morning mist and I enjoy a lovely trek through the forest. By a beautiful tree beside a stream, I meet the Grail King. He invites me to sit and enjoy the forest with him. He introduces himself as Tom, which I think is strangely informal for such a powerful and knowledgeable king. He asks about me in a rather 'professional' way, like a doctor or counselor. I explain to him that things are going quite slowly now, as I am weary and fatigued. A sense of lethargy (perhaps still from Grail Four) has sapped my dedication. He sympathizes and instructs me to take the bowl he's holding, dip it into the cauldron and pour it onto the green stone.
Suddenly, there are banging noises overhead. No,
it's not banging, it's marching. Time marches on. It changes
everything with every beat. Time waits for no one.
"An interesting reminder," Tom says, "but not much
of a concrete help for you, huh? Well, come with me."
He leads me through the woods to a remote and
secluded chapel, and offers me the opportunity to overnight here,
which I accept. I have a tremendous sense of deja vu, as I stayed in
a similar chapel in the Sword Realm. After the kind departs, I
disrobe and enter.
The interior is lit by candles upon
the altar, above which hangs something like a crucifix. But upon
closer observation, it appears more like a
I kneel before the altar and read the entire
chapter, to remind myself of the context. As I meditate on the words,
a breeze turns the pages. Or maybe not a breeze, as the candle flames
remain steady. It settles on the end of the first chapter of Luke,
and among the black inkings are many words in red, including
Gabriel's words to Mary; Mary's exclamation ("Behold the handmaid of
the Lord!"); and Elizabeth's greeting and blessing ("Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."). I see the
connection: as his mother, Mary also held the blood of Jesus within
This gives me more to contemplate, but the pages
are already moving again. Now they fall open:
Aha, now it's getting really interesting; but no
time to stop here, because now it moves on to the story of
And where have I heard *that* before? Yes,
the pages turn yet again, landing on the very first chapter, where
these words are given as the very first of God's
wishes/blessings/commandments to mankind.
The wind blows one more time, and this time it takes the candlelight with it. As I sit in the darkness, thought swim in my head, unarticulated, about vessels and secrets and Life and Law and many, many more things. Thinking of the two arks, I am reminded of the arcana; do they also hold law and covenant of life? Or do they only record and keep it, like the Bible? It would be a dream of mine to have a deck created out of each religious culture, and use them to compare and contrast.
After a while, a small light appears. As it rapidly grows, I see that it is a campfire, where the candles used to be. The walls of the chapel are no longer stone, but more like tapestries hanging on a clothesline, gently blowing. They are woven with beautiful patterns and colors. And where the "crucifix" was hanging, now stands a great tree, branches spreading and hung with a variety of ornaments and parchments. Through the intricate patterns of its leafless branches, I can see the bright stars and planets. I lie beneath the tree, gazing up to the sky, and sleep. I dream of a Hoop of Nations, of all types of people joined hand in hand circling the tree. Common roots, sturdy trunk, spreading branches reaching toward heaven. I wish I could hear their song.
I'm awakened at dawn by the Grail King. The
chapel is restored to its original form, and I'm a bit disappointed.
He leads me away, saying, "It is not yet time to drink the cup."
We spend a relaxing day together wandering through
the woods. We even manage to pet some incredibly tame deer. When I
see Tom with
Towards evening, we set out again, and he leads
me to a place where a cauldron is suspended over glowing coals. Even
though we just discussed the magic in everything, I feel there is a
special magic here. Tom dips his cup into the cauldron and retrieves
a piece of meat, which he offers to me. As I eat, I feel Pinky
stretch and kick inside my womb, and I know that this food has made
it healthy and strong. By the light of the coals, my belly becomes
transparent and I can see this small creature inside me. Grinning
hugely, I finally understand why I am always putting my hands on my
1) Not a direct quote, but a few places in the Gospels. {back}
2) Hebrews 9:4; 2a) see Exodus 16:33-34; 2b) see Numbers 17:10; 2c) see Exodus 40:20. {back}
3a) Genesis 6:18-19; 3b) Genesis 9:1 {back}
|
|
   |
|
